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BOSTON, NIGHTLIFE

On the Town: City Bar, Vox

Photo by City Bar Boston, http://www.citybarboston.com/

This past Saturday, I met up with a friend for drinks to celebrate her brand new apartment.  We decided to meet at City Bar, a small, cozy lounge inside the center of the Lenox Hotel.  Although I was there to catch up with a friend, the dark, soft-lit interior also makes for an ideal date spot.

SavvyTip: With its proximity to MiniBar, Saint, and Vox, CityBar is a great spot to start your night.  To avoid wasting valuable time in line, arrive well before 10:00 p.m.  Celebrate your savvy-ness by indulging in one of their delicious specialty cocktails – I personally love their champagne drinks.

After City Bar, we took a short walk down Boylston Street to Vox.  In contrast to City Bar, Vox is a much larger space spread out across two floors, and gets very packed on the weekends.  It’s not a lounge bar, or a place for dancing, but it attracts a lot of young professionals, many of which are looking to socialize.  I can’t say that I’ve ever met the man of my dreams there, but my friends and I always have a fun time.

Savvy Tip: While the drink menu at Vox features a lot of tasty specialty martinis, I don’t recommend ordering one when the bar is crammed to capacity.  You will inevitably get bumped, causing your drink to slosh around precariously.  Nobody likes getting a drink spilled on them!  Try to snag a table with a cocktail server if you’re craving a martini later in the evening.

For more information about City Bar, in the Lenox Hotel, please visit: http://www.citybarboston.com/citybarboston/

For more information about Vox, please visit: http://www.voxboston.com/

BOSTON, EVENTS, NIGHTLIFE

On the Town: After Hours at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Thirsty Thursday just got classier. Transport yourself from Boston to Venice on Thursday, February 18 at 5:30 p.m., when the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum hosts a Carnevale themed After Hours event. From sketching in the galleries, to bellinis in the courtyard and a live DJ spining, it’s a fantastic excuse to soak up some culture while rubbing elbows with interesting Bostonians. The event lasts until 9:30 p.m. and tickets are free to Gardner members, $12 for adult tickets and $5 for student tickets.

For more information: http://www.gardnermuseum.org/afterhours/index.asp

BOSTON, NIGHTLIFE

On the Town: Clink at the Liberty Hotel

I never tire of taking in the sights at the Liberty Hotel – from the gorgeous interior design, to what my fellow Bostonians are wearing.  To celebrate the beginning of a long weekend, I met several friends this past Friday for drinks at Clink.

What a way to kick off the weekend!  This past Friday at Clink was especially great for people watching, as the Europeans in Boston facebook group was hosting an event on the third floor, which attracted a larger group to the venue than usual.  If you’re looking for more events to attend in Boston, I recommend joining their facebook group, as Europeans and non-Europeans alike are welcome.

Savvy Tip: Anytime you have an opportunity to attend a private event on the third, fourth, or fifth floors of the Liberty Hotel — do it!  I always gush about how beautiful I find the hotel, but seeing it from a higher floor left me with a greater appreciation of the hotel’s uniqueness.

The Liberty Hotel is located in Beacon Hill, next to the MGH T-Stop and Mass. General Hospital.  For more information about the hotel, and Clink and Alibi, the hotel’s popular nightlife venues, please click here to visit their website.


BOSTON, NIGHTLIFE, RESTAURANTS

Hotspot Update: Woodward, Ames Hotel

Margarita Cocktails Closeup by dotw from Flickr

Last night I braved subzero temperatures to check out Woodward, a modern tavern located inside the new Ames Hotel.  I’ve been wanting to try Woodward for what feels like ages (it just opened in November 2009), and was not disappointed.

Savvy Tip: Ask the host/hostess at Woodward’s entryway to check your coat – they will give you a coat check ticket and whisk away your bulky outerwear.  It’s not obvious that they offer this service, but I’m thrilled that they do.

When we arrived (about 9:30 p.m.), the downstairs bar was very crowded, so we ventured upstairs.  I highly recommend checking out the upstairs bar.  Not only do they have more seating available (bar chairs, plus several tables allocated for the bar crowd), but I enjoyed looking at the display cases filled with antiques alongside the staircase.

Once upstairs, we ordered two vodka tonics ($17), which is standard for a high end lounge/bar in Boston.  A gracious host helped my friend and I to snag a bar table, and we enjoyed two rounds of drinks.  By 11:00 p.m., the upstairs bar was packed!  It was a late 20s and up crowd, all dressed in a Saturday night city chic style (e.g. mix of jeans/blouses, dresses, and men in sweaters, button ups, jackets).

Overall, we enjoyed our time at Woodward.  It was a great spot for two friends to catch up, and had potential for those looking to mix and mingle with a nice looking Bostonian crowd.  I also found the second floor of Woodward cozier than the other scene-y spots around town, mostly because of its smaller size.  I wouldn’t mind going back for dinner, or to try some of their speciality drinks.  Upon reviewing the amazing drink menu, I’m slightly embarrassed that I drank a simple vodka tonic and not something with more personality!  ‘Till next time….

Woodward is located inside The Ames Hotel, 1 Court Street, Boston, MA.  For more information, please visit their website: http://www.woodwardatames.com/#/main

BOSTON, NIGHTLIFE

Improper Bostonian Rocks Foundation Room at The House of Blues

Last Thursday I attended the Improper Bostonian’s bash at Foundation Room, a member’s only club inside the new House of Blues on Lansdowne Street. Not to be confused with Foundation Lounge in the Hotel Commonwealth, Foundation Room is an upper-level restaurant and lounge space. The interior is warm and inviting with an eclectic (perhaps Moroccan?) décor. It has a nice balcony overlooking Lansdowne Street and a private entrance into the House of Blues concert venue.

While I really enjoyed Foundation Room, I heard rumors that membership fees start around $2,500, which means that this Savvy Bostonian will not be joining their elite ranks. It’s too bad, because if this club was open to the public as a lounge, it would be extremely popular with Boston’s trendy young professional scene.

Although I may never walk into Foundation Room again, I must give Kudos to the Improper Bostonian for giving us a glimpse into a hot new venue and attracting the hip twenty to thirty-sometime crowd that attended. As if you would have expected anything else from the Improper Bostonian! I’ve been to a few Improper Bostonian parties in my day, but this was my favorite one to date.

House of Blues Boston – 15 Lansdowne Street, Boston

Improper Bostonian – http://www.improper.com/